Night+Market (West Hollywood, CA) [3]

Night+Market
9041 W Sunset Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90069
Dining date: 5/29/16

It’s been a little while since I’ve visited chef Kris Yenbamroong’s Night + Market. It’s still going strong – a third location is anticipated for Venice later this month. 2016 has been a big year for Yenbamroong after being named a semifinalist for a James Beard award (Best Chef: West) and named one of the best new chefs by Food & Wine.

Night + Market was the choice for a dinner to catch up with old friends. It would be the first time trying the restaurant for them.

peek gai hey-ha “party wings”

Wings were crispy and utterly savory with a deep flavor accented by fish sauce.

fried pig tail

Fried pig tail was a winner – crispy and fatty with small bits of rich pork meat.

pork toro grilled fatty pig neck with ‘jaew’ northeastern chile dip

Grilled pork jowl was rich with a strong grill char. The chile dip provided some contrasting acid with a bit of heat.

larb gai minced chicken, lime, fish sauce, rice powder, chile, cilantro, onion

Chicken ‘salad’ featured warm ground chicken with lime and some aromatics, eaten with crisp vegetables. Good, but not the most interesting or memorable of the dishes we ordered.

pad kee mao drunken noodles with sliced short rib, chile, thai basil, garlic

I prefer my pad kee mao a little ‘gravier,’ these were a bit on the drier side. Soft rice noodles were stir fried with tender short rib and plenty of Thai basil.

uni garlic fried rice garlic, white pepper, fish sauce, uni, salmon caviar

One of the daily specials, this was a solid fried rice topped with cool sea urchin and salmon roe. I would’ve liked to have seen the uni incorporated more into the dish, however.

gaeng masaman lamb rich fragrant and fairly mild curry of lamb, potato, carrot with roti

Tender chunks of lamb were bathed in a richly flavored curry. We just wish it came with more roti to soak up the residual sauce.

mango and coconut rice

We finished with a simple and satisfying mango and coconut rice dessert.

We had a good meal at Night + Market. It was probably what we ordered, but the spice level on this evening wasn’t as mind-numbing as my last visit. Flavors were bold and rich contrasted by cool, fresh herbs. It’s no wonder Night + Market continues to be a popular spot.